For the first time, the resources for oil spill contingency and response in Northern Norway will be mapped.

By: NTB

Research institute Norut will map the services and resources in this sector on commission for the oil company Eni Norge.

The sea is used for increasingly more commercial activities. In addition to the oil and gas industry, companies in the shipping, tourism and fisheries industries operate in the same waters – and the level of activity is growing.

“As a result, it’s important to have an overview of the organisation of resources as well as the geographical distribution of the companies involved in the emergency preparedness sector,” said Senior Research Scientist and Project Manager at Norut, Trond Nilsen, to the Norwegian News Agency (NTB).

Mapping and overview

Between now and the autumn, he will head up the work to identify all aspects of the North Norwegian emergency preparedness sector, including where these companies are located, what resources they have at their disposal and what they offer beyond the main emergency preparedness.

The goal is to produce a report detailing the resources and services each participant in the North Norwegian emergency preparedness sector can offer, says Nilsen.

“This applies to both the private and public sector and will cover everything from those who produce lenses to those who provide services,” says Nilsen.

Useful for many

The report, which will be published in the autumn, was commissioned by oil company and Goliat operator Eni Norge. Eni broke new ground when it hired 30 fishing boats for oil spill contingency and response in the Goliat oil field, which entered operation last year.

Along the way, the company has commissioned several research projects because of the Goliat development.

“We have seen a development and strengthening of the emergency preparedness sector related to oil spills in Northern Norway. However, few studies and comprehensive analyses of this sector have been performed. As a company, we are interested in being better acquainted with what is available. Furthermore, we see that others may be interested in knowing more about the resources and professional environments being developed,” says the Director of Communications and Public Relations at Eni Norge, Andreas Wulff.

Project Manager Trond Nilsen emphasizes that Norut will not assess whether the emergency preparedness is good or bad, as that responsibility lies primarily with the public authorities and the oil companies operating on the Norwegian shelf.